The victim alleged that Bhatti would often try to get close to and behave inappropriately with female students.
More than two years since a college student lodged a police complaint against her professor for allegedly stalking and sexually abusing her, the victim is still battling for justice.
According to the victim, a resident of Peddar Road, in February 2015, when she was in the final year of law at SVKM Pravin Gandhi College of Law in Juhu, she was subjected to a harrowing ordeal on account of her professor Irshad Bhatti. According to the victim, Bhatti had forced her to call him on his mobile, and passed lewd comments in front of other students. The victim alleged that Bhatti would often try to get close to and behave inappropriately with female students.
“Bhatti kept insisting that I call him. He told me that he is free in the evening and available to chat on WhatsApp. My classmates used to discuss about his behaviour. One of them revealed that on one occasion, Bhatti ran his hand through her hair to comment on her new hair cut,” said the victim in her FIR.
The victim then brought the issue to the notice of the principal and the teachers and later lodged a complaint against Bhatti at Juhu Police Station in February 2015. A case under IPC Section 354A (sexual harassment) and 354 D (stalking) was then registered.
Bhatti was then arrested and was later granted bail by the magistrate court. Bhatti later approached the Bombay High Court to quash the FIR against him, claiming that a false case and wrong charges had been slapped against him. In June 2015, the High Court then passed an order putting a stay on filing of the charge-sheet in the case.
Rizwan Merchant, the victim’s advocate, said, “On August 18, we will ask the High Court for removal of stay from filing of the charge-sheet. The courts should pave the way for a full-fledged trial because it involves image, reputation and character of a woman and trial should not be stayed and stay on filing of charge-sheet should not be granted. Best option available in such cases is to expedite the trial so that both parties get an opportunity to prove their case.”
Stalking Cases in Mumbai under section 354 (D) of IPC
2016
488
2015
443
2014
273
2013
59
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